The guidelines "have been drafted on the basis of studies and findings of a number of external experts and existing academic literature, including the FIDH report on building trade consistency with human rights".

They aim notably to identify and prevent the impacts that trade policies may have on human rights in the EU and its partner countries, to avoid the negative ones and to enhance the positive ones. Echoing FIDH’s demands, the European Commission announced that impacts assessments "were foreseen to be launched soon for the investment agreement negotiations with Myanmar and China"